1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to all-terrain vehicles and lifting equipment. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a lifting crane in connection with an all-terrain vehicle, whereby the crane is pivotable, extendable, and driven by either a hand crank winch or an electrically powered winch assembly for lifting heavy objects onto the vehicle.
Hunting large game animals is a popular activity for many, where a hunter engages an animal using a bow or rifle for the purposes of killing the animal and thereafter retrieving and taking it out of the field. Many of the large game animals are hunted for food and for trophy purposes, where the animal provides a large quantity of consumable meat and its carcass can be stuffed and preserved for display purposes.
Many individuals travel great distances into the wilderness to reach appropriate hunting grounds. Most utilize a form an automobile, all-terrain vehicle, or motorbike to reach their destination. When hunting larger game, however, the vehicle must be sufficient to carry the hunter and his passengers, their gear, and also allow for the additional cargo weight of any prey animals successfully hunted. Large deer, elk, moose, buffalo, and other wild game are particularly large and would otherwise be impossible to move after the animal is killed without mechanical assistance. Therefore a vehicle equipped to handle the load of the animal is necessary to retrieve the animal and take it out of the field.
While finding a suitable vehicle is not a large task, the act of loading the animal into the vehicle can be a difficult one while in the field, particularly if hunting alone. Large game animals can weigh several hundred pounds, making manual lifting for a single or even team of hunters practically impossible. Lifting such a heavy load, even if possible, is not healthy for the hunter who may not always be traveling with assistance. Pulling a muscle, straining, or throwing one's back out while in the wilderness can be a significant occurrence that could pose a risk to the hunter if unable to easily get home. Therefore, a mechanical assistant device is required that can more readily lift large loads from the field and into a vehicle after a hunting kill, wherein the device does not require significant user input to transfer the animal from the ground and into the vehicle cargo area.
Lifting devices for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and vehicles are present in the prior art and generally relate to simple lifting devices positioned in some manner to the vehicle. These devices include singular degrees of freedom or are overly complex for the given task of lifting a large game animal. The present invention contemplates a simple lifting crane that is attachable to an ATV that is capable of lifting loads extended away from the vehicle and around the perimeter of the vehicle, where repositioning of the crane does not require the user to move the vehicle in the process. The device includes a base attachment to the vehicle cargo bed, an extendable and pivotable crane arm, and a hoist driven by either a hand crank winch or electrically powered winch. The device working end secures to a bound game animal, lifts the same, and then is capable of swiveling the animal over the bed of the vehicle for resting the same thereon for transportation away from the hunting grounds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to lifting devices and vehicle lifting cranes. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further for highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,063 to York discloses a portable game hoist that is mountable to a trailer hitch receiver and includes a boom, a winch, a pulley system, and a torsion bar adapted to bear against the body of the supporting vehicle. The boom secures over an exposed ball hitch and is secured thereagainst by way of tie down straps, while the torsion bar bears against the vehicle as the tensioned straps cinch down the assembly against the vehicle. The York device provides an elongated boom supportable from a tow hitch ball that utilizes straps for securement. The present invention provides a more permanent crane structure that is attached to the vehicle and freely movable therefrom to position the lifting hook over a hunted animal, requiring no additional straps or bearing members for support.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,246 to Sherrod discloses a retractable and rotating ATV lift boom that is adapted to be supported from the tubular cargo rack of an ATV. A hand crank winch is utilized to control a lifting line that travels the length of the boom. The device attaches to the ATV using a pair of U-bolts, a base plate, and a piece of angle iron, whereby the assembly secures to the ATV cargo rack for support thereof and of lifted articles. The boom of Sherrod is adapted for connection to an ATV rack, rather than being supported by a base plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,120 to Beatty discloses an ATV hoist that is secured to the frame of the ATV. The hoist includes a base arm and a sliding arm that allows for extension of the overall hoist, wherefrom a cable and cable hook is suspended. The Beatty device is useful for lifting a load vertically, but fails to provide any further degrees of freedom. Specifically, the Beatty device cannot swivel a load onto the ATV cargo area, but rather can only lift it upwards thereonto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,831 to Martin discloses a game hoist from an ATV cargo rack that includes a base plate, an upstanding column, and a horizontal boom that telescopes outward and supports a hoisted lifting hook. A manually operated embodiment includes a handle to extend and retract the boom, whereby the handle operates the telescoping mechanism and thus the position of the boom working end. The present invention provides a rotatable and extendable boom that can be pin-locked into a desired position, or freely connected to allow for rotating the load around the vehicle and then shifting the load onto the cargo area.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,451 to Muzzi discloses hoist for lifting an animal carcass from an ATV, wherein the device comprises a vertical support shaft, a horizontal boom, and a pulley supported cable system for lifting carcasses from the ground. A secondary bracing leg can be deployed for supporting the vertical support shaft, which extends to the ground for lifting heavier loads. The Muzzi device fails to disclose additional degrees of freedom with respect to the lifting apparatus, where the Muzzi device is a rigid structure that is capable of lifting loads vertically only.
The present invention comprises a lifting apparatus that can extend and pivot to manipulate the handled load once connected thereto by way of the lifting cable and hook working end. The apparatus includes a pivotable boom and an upstanding portion secured to the cargo area of the vehicle, while the boom can telescope outwards to position its distal end over the hunted game animal to be lifted. It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing ATV-mounted lifting apparatuses. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.